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Join Jamie, Ricky and Joe as they manage to talk about more than just the news from Apple’s WWDC keynote. Never fear, though; they discuss that topic at some length. After the news of the week, Jamie sits down with Mike Calvo to talk about the Philips HD8753/87 Intelia Automatic espresso machine. Topics covered in this podcast include:

A T Talk

HIMS Inc. Releases New Pocket-sized Media Player that Gives Blind and Visually Impaired Near-Instant Access to Printed Text

Mac Master Series FAQ

Introducing Magnificent, a new magnifier app for iOS

Chicken Nugget 2.3: YouTube support, hidden timelines, run at startup, more!

Try the New ZoomText Beta for Windows 7

Google Glass gives the deaf an ASL interpreter, even in the dark

Mainstream Matters

CD Players, Reluctant Technology Learners, and the iPod

Samsung Simband Preview

Google’s prototype electric self-driving car seats two, has no steering wheel

Surface Pro 3 Is Coming

Summary of Announcements from WWDC 2014 Keynote | AppleVis

Roundabout

Legendary author Maya Angelou dies at age 86

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings narrated by Maya Angelou

Long-lost, 1958 recording of Tolkien explaining Lord of the Rings has been unearthed

Mike Calvo’s review of the Philips HD8753/87 Intelia Automatic espresso machine

My review is as much about an excellent product as it is about an outstanding company. Let’s face it. Either the product is decent but the customer service is terrible, or worse, the product sounds great, but the interface is not accessible.
As a coffee aficionado, I was excited about the glowing reviews of the
Philips HD8753/87 Intelia Automatic espresso machine. A quiet grinder,
a smaller form factor, a convenient milk frother and easy programming
are just the beginning of what amounts to an amazing appliance. At a
price north of $1,000, one should expect nothing less, right?
Well, for blind consumers that’s a highly subjective question.
Companies rarely consider the potential blind end user, but in the case of Philips the reception could not have gone better.
My experience actually began before the package even landed on my doorstep. I called customer service to try to make sense of the product. Being the skeptic that I am, I wanted to make sure I would be able to utilize the espresso machine as soon as it came out of the box.
Daniel S, the helpful customer support representative, did not shy away from the challenge of explaining the machine to me when he learned I had a visual impairment. Instead he went and got himself in front of a model similar to what I’d ordered and proceeded to explain the order and function of each button.
Yeah, you could attribute it to the courtesy of one representative,
but later, after the machine had arrived, I called again to inquire
about some functionality of a special drink button I could not figure out.
The next guy proved to be just as friendly and accommodating as the
first guy, effectively proving that at Philips there is a prominent
culture of customer-oriented service. Even better? The PDF manual I
downloaded from the website was readily accessible for my screen
reader. That’s not typical considering the image-only manuals and
tutorials blind customers are accustomed to. Okay but how’s the
coffee? In a word: “AMAZING!” The wide variety of options this machine
provides will yield years of yummy coffee goodness! After all the
help from Philips I was able to set up the machine and enjoy my very
first coffee with absolutely no sighted help. I never can get over the
pleasure of purchasing a product and completing it’s setup
independently. Now here’s all you ever wanted to know abut the
Philips HD8753/87 Intelia Automatic espresso machine: Product
features

Save your favorite coffee settings
You will always get a perfect cup of espresso brewed just for you,
according to your personal preference, thanks to the innovative memo
function to adjust the coffee length, strength and temperature. Enjoy
a superb coffee drink in your favorite cup with just the press of a
button. Play with the coffee’s richness with the HD8753/87’s
adjustable grinder

Different coffee blends require different levels of granularity for
the full flavor to unfold. The grind granularity of this espresso
machine can be adjusted in 5 settings, from the finest grind, for a
full bodied espresso, to the coarsest, for a lighter café crème.

Enjoy coffee without burned taste thanks to a 100% ceramic grinder
Saeco uses ceramic grinders because of their consistent grind without
overheating the coffee bean for an impeccable espresso. Ceramic also
ensures long-lasting performance and a really quiet operation when
grinding your favorite beans.

Easy cleaning thanks to the removable
brewing group The brewing group, a Saeco invention, is the heart of
the HD8753/87.
ensuring automation. The brewing group is easily accessible from the
side. It can be removed effortlessly for cleaning by rinsing under the
tap ensuring maximum hygiene.

Coffee without the wait thanks to the
quick heat boiler The Saeco quick heat boiler technology ensures your
machine is always ready. Now you won’t have to wait between brewing
each espresso, but can prepare coffee after coffee. So, you can share
your new indulgence with friends.

Perfect froth thanks to the dual
chamber milk carafe Enjoy your milk specialties fully automated with
the patented milk carafe with dual chamber technology. Simply pour
milk into the carafe, plug it into the machine and select your coffee
drink. With the dual chamber technology you will always enjoy
professional coffee drinks with dense, long-lasting milk froth at the
ideal temperature from a constant splash-free flow of milk. Avoid
heat loss and fit every cup with the adjustable spout

The adjustable
spout on Philips’ espresso machines will fit every cup and thus
prevents the coffee splashing or cooling down while pouring in your
cup. This way your espresso is always served at the right temperature
while maintaining a clean machine.

Easy cleaning thanks to
dishwasher-safe parts For your convenience, you can put the Saeco’s
drip tray and milk frother or milk carafe in the dishwasher. This will
save time and ensure a hygienic cleaning. You will always have a
clean machine thanks to auto-clean and descaling
Saeco designed this espresso machine to automatically clean its
coffee circuit with water upon starting up or switching off of the
machine. This delivers a great, fresh taste with each cup of coffee.
Regular descaling prolongs your espresso machine’s life.

Technical specifications

Perfect Espresso
Espresso technology • Saeco adapting system • Aroma-system:
pre-brewing

Easy to use
Cleaning and maintenance • Automatic coffee circuit rinse
• Descaling cycle
Usage • Adjustable coffee dispenser
• Cup holding surface
• Rapid steam
• Removable brewing group
• Normal / long espresso option
Energy saving
Energy saving Automatic stand-by

The bottom line? It’s been a gratifying experience. The best part of
waking up might be the shot of espresso to jumpstart the morning, but
my day is made all the more productive when I know that if my machine
has issues, I can call a company that just gets it. No separate but
equal accessibility telephone lines, just helpful people who can
easily bypass the visual impairment stigma and go on about the
business of helping me like any other customer. Thanks Philips! You
certainly have a happy customer here!

As the clock races toward Christmas day, are you still frantically racking your brain to figure out what to buy for that special person in your life? Once again, the Serotek team comes to the rescue with our annual holiday review special. As you listen to the podcast, be sure to follow the links below to learn more about the respective products discussed in this podcast–and Merry Christmas!

Lisa Salinger starts us off with a discussion of the FitBit One

She also mentions MyFitnessPal which has become more accessible of late.

Joe Steinkamp reviews the Keurig K75 Platinum Brewing System

The K 75 is a great gift for the person who wants a brewing system if, and this is a big IF!, they don’t mind memorizing menus and buttons. The unit sports a blue backlit screen with hard to see text. And it has a menu system for changing things like cup sizes and the like. Yet, for the package as a whole, it comes with lots of accessories and it has 72oz of coffee or tea at the ready. Its kind of big too, possibly due to the built in K-Cup tray underneath, so you can’t hide it behind the toaster. All and all, it’s a great gift to give someone [especially if you find it for under $149] but you may just want to stick with the Travel Keurig models if you want to avoid all the frills, menus and memorization.

He also recommends Lola Savannah Coffee – Cozy Winter’s Night (Whole Bean)

Next, Ricky Enger discusses four devices that will make your life easier in the kitchen.

Polder 6631-75 Stainless-Steel Sink Strainer with Extending Rubber-Grip Arms

Artisan (2 pk.) Non-Stick Silicon Baking Mat Set. 16 5/8″ x 11″

Edge of Glory Knife Sharpener

Alton Brown Salt Cellar

Buddy Brannan interviews the developer of The Bradley Braille Watch

Matt Campbell helps us be more productive with the Asus Transformer Book T100.

Richard Wells introduces us to Lee Oscar harmonicas.

Finally, Jamie Pauls reviews the Bose SoundLink Mini Bluetooth speaker.

For this very special holiday podcast, each member of the Serotek team was asked to review an item that they felt would make a good holiday gift. As you listen to the voices of the Serotek team members, feel free to follow the links in these show notes so that you can further explore the items of particular interest to you.

If there is one thing blind people are passionate about, it’s audio. Brian Kevelighan starts off our show with a review and demonstration of the Jawbone Big Jam Box. Next, Matt Campbell reviews the Koss PortaPro headphones. Finally, Mike Calvo rounds out our first segment by reviewing three sets of headphones—the new Aftershokz Sportz 2, the Radius 2 earbuds, and the Bose in-ear Sports earbuds.

Next, we focus on taking our audio on the go. Buddy Brannan visits with Danny of the Braille Superstore about the brand new Tiny Tunes MP3 player, designed especially for the blind. Then, Richard Wells visits with Laz Mesa about the Rockboxed Sansa Talking MP3 Players.

To round out our discussion of all things audio, Lisa Salinger shows us how to make music with the QChord. Shane Jackson has produced an in-depth review of the QChord.

Getting a Feel for the QChord is a manual written specifically for the visually impaired by Jackie McBride.

Hear the QChord by going to a page with QChord songs and sound clips

If you would like to purchase a QChord, or for further information, you may email Jackie McBride.

Next, Joe Steinkamp tells us about the OXO 10 Piece Pop Up Container Set.

Patrick Purdue stops by just in the nick of time to tell Jamie about the Wenger Braille watch.

After that, Ricky Enger makes house cleaning fun by introducing us to the Litter Robot self-cleaning litter box.

Rounding out this year’s holiday festivities, Jamie Pauls helps us make a great espresso with the Nespresso Pixie espresso maker.

You can listen to our Coffee Charge special from last year where Mike Calvo goes into some detail about what makes a great cup of espresso.

Watch a YouTube video of the Nespresso Pixie in action.

Feel free to email resources@serotalk.com with holiday ideas of your own.

I wanted to take a moment and share some ideas for Christmas gifts you might want to get for yourself, or for others on your list.

First, I’d like to tell you about the Twelve South PlugBug All-in-One Dual Charger for MacBook and iPad, iPhone, or iPod. The last thing I looked at from the Twelve South people was the fashionable, but not very functional Book-style case for the MacBook Air. This particular product has really hit a home run, and is part of my essential travel gear for the Mac. It replaces the two-prong plug on the Mac-Safe Adapter with a small device that gives you back that outlet, but adds the functionality of a USB port as well. This way, you can charge your Mac and any USB device from only one outlet. At $34.99, you can get it through Amazon and you can support Serotek at the same time. It’s available through Prime, so if you have that service, you can get it in two days.

Those of you who have been listening to me and following the podcast for any amount of time know that I am a self-proclaimed coffee snob. I’ve mentioned a number of espresso makers here, and some have bought them based on my recommendations. I have been using Nespresso products for about the past year, and if you are into Espresso only, which is important to note, the Nespresso Pixie Espresso Maker might be the machine for you.

It is Italian-made and uses 19 bars of pressure, and makes superb coffee. When I started with Nespresso, I was using their bigger unit. You put a small, mushroom-shaped capsule in the top of the machine, push a button, and it’s ready in a few minutes. The pixie is great because it’s small enough to put in a suitcase. I bought metal espresso cups which don’t break in transit, and set it up in my hotel room when I travel. So, there is some initial expense, but the using the capsules works out to about 65 cents a shot, which is cheaper and more convenient than finding and frequenting a local coffee shop.

This particular Nespresso model lists for $249, but you can get it refurbished on Amazon for $149. When you have the option of a return policy, I encourage buying refurbished products, especially if you buy lots of electronics. When someone receives and opens a product, then sends it back, the seller has to call it Refurbished or Like New. When they receive the product, they make sure everything is in good condition, and repackage it for sale. There’s not much point in buying some things new, because the moment you take them out of the box, they are worth the amount you would pay for the refurbished item.

You can buy 50 NESPRESSO Capsules Varieties COFFEE for $53.89. The Nespresso coffee is amazing, and comes in intensities all the way from two to ten. Awhile back, they had a specialty coffee with an intensity of twelve! They are wonderful coffees that will keep you up and going all night long.

Because it differs in some ways from the larger, countertop model, the Pixie is great for a blind person. The larger model doesn’t stay hot all the time because it would use far more electricity. So, when you want to use it, you have to press a button until a light comes on and your coffee starts coming out. With the Pixie, you turn on the power, and press the button once. When it’s ready, it starts pushing out your coffee. The Pixie comes with a small variety of flavors, but you’ll be able to sample a larger variety by purchasing the 50-count sampler, where you’ll get five different flavors and intensities.

You can purchase the Nespresso at standard brick and mortar stores, but you will pay higher prices. However, you can only order the capsules online. I like the Nespresso club because they deliver very fast. They are in Florida, so I usually have my order in one day, but people in most other locations receive it after two days. Overall, I am very pleased with the ease of use, as well as the excellent taste of espresso from this maker.

You are welcome to send email to resources@serotalk.com, leave a comment on the Blab Line, at (866) 997-blab or 2522, or send us an iReport on iBlink Radio.